If you haven't played Pokémon Go for a while now, because, well, what was the point? You should think about picking up the augmented reality app again, because Niantic has done a lot to expand the gameplay and the game's purpose as of late. Alongside a much wider variety of Pokémon to catch, train and battle with, Pokémon Go now has storylines and quests to play through.
"Trainers will begin receiving research tasks later this week, adding new activities and challenges that can be completed for in-game rewards," Niantic said in an update (via Kotaku). These storylines will re-introduce classic Pokémon Go characters, as well as leverage some of the expanded Pokémon universe to bring back fan favorite characters for cameos.
"Some of these rewards will lead Trainers to access unique storylines that include discovering the mystery behind the Mythical Pokémon Mew," Niantic continued, hinting at the potential to find one of the Pokémon world's most mysterious and rare pocket monsters.
Alongside these expanded stories, Niantic is also introducing a new quest mechanic based around research:
"Pokémon GO’s new research feature will provide Trainers with unique activities called Field Research and Special Research," Niantic said. "Field Research tasks can be collected by spinning nearby PokéStops, and they include a wide range of Pokémon-related activities. Special Research tasks are story-driven activities that may be requested by Professor Willow himself, and they will unfold as the Trainer completes more objectives."
Completing these tasks will unlock legendary monsters, unique stories of their own and additional rewards for gamers, as well as giving them more of a 'reason' to be capturing all of those Pokémon in the first place.
Do any of these updates intrigue you enough to step back into the world of Pokémon Go?